SUNNY SIDE UP | how to handle self doubt, an existential crisis, or an overall bad day

Hey friends! I can’t believe it is Sunday already. Where did the weekend go?!

But, jumping right into this post: Today I am going to be talking about dealing with negativity, the idea of failing, the fear of the unknown, and just giving you overall tips on what I do to help myself feel better when I’m generally feeling a bit negative about things.

If you had told me at the age of thirteen what my life would be like today, I probably would have a mental break down. I would have thrown the biggest temper tantrum, cried for days, and proclaimed that I would be, in fact, a failure. A nobody. A waste.

I was always the dramatic child, as you can see.

And I still have days where negative thoughts invade my mind, making me have an existential crisis so big that all I want to do is eat chocolate on the sofa, watch Breaking Bad, and wallow in self pity – and even worse: roll around in self doubt.

Everyone has those moments. One minute you’re completely fine and the next moment fifty questions are running through your head: What am I doing with my life? Why didn’t I do that? Why didn’t I put more effort in it? If I had done it, my life would be better. I’d be somewhere else, I’d be happier, I’d be prettier, I’d be more confident, I’d have a better career…. But the I’d haves and the I woulds don’t help wave a magical wand and make everything the way they should be.

As much as it would be convenient to have everything straighten out and be exactly what we want, it’s up to ourselves to put the time and effort into manifesting our greatness. And that’s exactly what we all need to do. And that’s what I have been working on this entire week. Whenever I succumb to the negative thoughts in my head, I try to ask myself key questions: What makes me happy? What positive things have I improved today/this week/this month to work towards a better life? What are the good things that I should be grateful for?

Every day is a journey to get out of bed, go do what needs to be done, and stay positive as you do it. Some days more than others. And if you have found that recently you have been dwelling on the idea of failure, not knowing what you’re doing with your life, unhappy with something, or are generally just trying to figure out your purpose in life, just know a lot of us understand this same struggle. You are not alone on this journey.

But it is important to pull yourself back and take the necessary small steps towards being positive and working towards your goals.

Here’s some things I have been learning along the way that I want to share with you for when you’re feeling overwhelmed. What I typically do when I am feeling a bit negative is not just read over the words, but really take a few minutes to think about each bullet point, write down positive things that tailor to your particular situation, and think about ways to make each negative thing on your mind better/come up with a plan. I have a whole notebook dedicated to doing these positive reinforcement exercises.

Change may not be immediate, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t making progress. Remind yourself of the things you are doing.

Even when it’s hard, try to tell yourself positive affirmations. Take some time each day to do this.

Don’t push yourself to do things that make yourself unhappy.

If you feel stuck or particularly vulnerable, remember that it is temporary. You can get out of that situation. It will get better if you just push forwards.

Remember each day will be a journey within itself. Try to focus on your goals day to day, instead of long term. What can you do today to make tomorrow better?

Sometimes you just have to dance it out.

Try to push yourself to get out, even if for just a few minutes a day.

Do one thing per day that’s positive or goes towards a goal. Sometimes it means just getting up and taking a shower. Don’t tell yourself that the small things aren’t good enough. Don’t expect to run a marathon the first go (ie: you will need to work on building the right tools, mental health, and overcome certain battles to do what you need to do. And that’s okay).

Try some form of mediation. I have found that I really like yoga. I have also recently started trying mediating with crystals/minerals.

Listen to what your body/mind are telling you. Try to keep grounded.

Know when to let go.

When I’m upset, I try to give myself a few minutes to indulge in sadness and self pity and then when five or so minutes are up, I tell myself to push it all aside, push myself to be positive (even when it’s hard, keep pushing the negative away), and keep busy.

You sent me over here from my blog! Thanks so much for finding me or I wouldn’t have found your lovely blog! This post was so interesting and super helpful – I’ll definitely be taking on board some of the ideas you’ve got to get rid of negativity. Thanks for sharing lovely xxx http://www.miniaturemilk.wordpress.com

I’m glad you enjoyed my post! I’ve been trying to make my Sunny Side Up series more personal than the rest of my posts as far as health, motivation, and positivity, but also share things I’ve learned for others. It makes me feel like I’m just chatting with friends over coffee when I write them! Haha. Which is always lovely 🙂